In Milk, as Ted celebrates his 28th birthday, Lily points out it's only 2 more years to "the big one, 3-0". Future Ted comments, "Actually my 30th birthday wasn't so bad. Well, except for the goat in my bathroom".

In The Goat, Future Ted tells his kids the story of the time Lily rescued a goat named Missy when a farmer brought it to her kindergarten class and horrified her students by going into great detail about what would happen to Missy when she visits the butcher. Lily planned on giving Missy away to animal control, but became attached to her while waiting for Ted to arrive at his 30th birthday party. Future Ted later remembers that the story of the goat took place at his 31st birthday.

In The Leap, the rest of the story is told. When trying to design the “Rib Town” restaurant, Ted discovers Missy in his apartment, which despite his efforts to ignore her, constantly annoys him by chewing on a washcloth. Ted keeps taking the washcloth away from her and putting it away, but Missy keeps finding it. At the end Ted "confronts" Missy, but she attacks him repeatedly, resulting in Ted being sent to the hospital.